Securing Military Advancement with a Security Management Degree
If you are a security officer in the military and have decided to make it a career, you are probably thinking about military advancement. Advancing through the ranks provides you with more money, more authority, and more respect. Enlisted service members of each of the branches of the military get promoted fairly easily at first (for example from E1 to E2 in the Navy) and it is normally based on time served. Military advancement beyond that, however, is based on many other factors and differs by branch.
Education and training is an example of a requirement that is expected for promotion across the military branches. The following are examples of military advancements that require education:
Promotion to E-4 in the Navy
Promotion to E-5 in the Army
Promotion to E-5 in the Air Force (while a degree is not required, you do have to pass a 100 question test based on your job)
Promotion to E-4 in the Marine Corp (advancement is based on a point system and you get 75 points for self-education)
The above list is only a small selection of the types of military advancement for a security officer that take education into consideration. It is always best to ask your supervisor what is necessary to get promoted so that you can be sure to meet all the requirements.
Education Options for Military Security Officers
As you can see, education is highly valued in the U.S. military and it can help you to move up in your career. As a security officer, you have the option to get a security management degree. There are several options for degree levels:
Certificate: a one year program that gives the basics of security management degree protocols and is suitable for moving up the lower ranks. You may encounter courses such as Introduction to the Security Industry and Information Security.